The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them

December 19, 2016

The Atlantic and the New York Times recently exposed the privately owned public spaces (known as “

The Atlantic and the New York Times recently exposed the privately owned public spaces (known as “POPS”) in the Trump Tower as being far from “public.” As both journalists demonstrated, most of the Trump Tower public spaces were either cordoned off or non-existent, most notably, the case of the missing bench. A long bench was supposed to be available to the public in the main lobby but was removed as Donald Trump explained, “due to tremendous difficulties with respect to the bench—drug addicts, vagrants, et cetera have come to the atrium in large numbers. Additionally, all sorts of ‘horrors’ had […]

The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them : 6sqft